Refrigerator



(No Model.)

N. A. LAMAN. REFRIGERATOR. No. 435,230. Patented Aug. v26, 1890.

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' V, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NANCY A. LAMAN, OF BERTRAM, TEXAS.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,230, dated August 26, 1890.

Application filed July 2, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NANCY A. LAMAN, of Bertram, in the county of Burnet and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved refrigerator; and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is 'a sectional View on about line 1 1 of Fig.3. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on about line 2 2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The refrigerator is designed'for use without ice, the cooling effect being secured by the evaporation of water. Consequently the apparatus will be most effective when exposed to a current of air. The apparatus is formed with a suitable framing, having its sides closed in with wire-gauze to permit the free circulation of air, and at the same time exclude insects and the like. At one side a door A affords access to the interior of the refrigerator, and legs B serve to hold its bottom above the floor or other support on which the refrigerator stands. When dust is flying, calico or other thin cloths may be held to the sides of the refrigerator.

I provide the refrigerator with shelves G and D, the bottom forming the lower shelf 0,

V and the upper shelf D being arranged, preferably, about half-way between the bottom 0 and the top E. On the shelves 0 and-D are formed or provided ribs F, on which the pails of milk or other substances to be kept cool may be supported, and these shelves incline downward from end to end and in reverse directions-that is, looking from the front the upper shelf inclines down from left to right and the lower shelf from right to left. Manifestly the number of shelves may be varied and this alternate inclining of the shelves be preserved.

Above the upper end of each shelf I ar range a water-trough G, having an outletopening in its bottom suitably plugged or valved, so that when desired their contents may be discharged on the shelf below, the shelves being provided with gutters 9: lead= Eierial No. 35 '7, 5 '75. (No model.)

ing across their upper ends and down along their sides to the opening H at the lower ends of the shelves. This opening H is arranged above the next lower trough G, and the water passing off the ends of the shelves will consequently pass into such troughs, as shown. A trough G, similar to trough G, is supported below the lower shelf to receive the water therefrom.

Cotton or other. suitable cloths I are ar ranged with one end in one of the troughs and the other end in the next lower trough, and operate by capillary attraction to carry the water from trough to trough, presenting a large surface for evaporation, which evaporation can be largely increased by exposing the refrigerator to a current of air. Hooks J may be suspended within the refrigerator from its top, such hooks serving to support meat, buckets of butter or the the like, or other material which it is desired to keep cool.

Air-inlet tubes K L lead up through the bottom of the refrigerator and open respectively above the lower and upper shelves, thus furnishing air-inlets from below to each compartment.

In operation it will be seen that the water will be carried from trough to trough by the cloths by capillary attraction and will be evaporated from such cloths, greatly lowering the temperature.

The apparatus will be found particularly useful in those localities where ice is scarce and expensive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a refrigerator substantially as de scribed, the combination of the shelf having a discharge or opening at one end of awatertrough arranged below said end, a, watertrough arranged above the opposite end of the shelf, and a cloth or cloths extended between said troughs and submerged at its ends therein, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a refrigerator substantially as described, the combination of the shelves ar ranged one above the other, the trough arranged above one end of the upper shelf, a trough arranged below the opposite end of said upper shelf and above one end of the lower shelf, a trough below the opposite end of the lower shelf, and cloths submergedin and extended between the adjacent troughs, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of the shelves arranged one above the other, inclined downward from end to end in reverse directions, arranged to dis-' charge at their lower ends, and provided with gutters 9, extended across their' upper ends and down along their sides, troughs arranged above the upper ends and below the lower ends of the shelves, and the cloths extended between and submerged in the said troughs, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The improved refrigerator herein described, consisting of thefraine, the shelves arranged one above the other, inclined from end to end in reverse directions, having a discharge at their lower ends-and provided .with gutters extended across their upper ends and down along their sides, the troughs arranged above the upper ends and below the lower ends of the shelves, the cloths extended between said troughs, and the air-inlet tubes K and L, all substantially as described, and forthe purposes set forth.

NANCY A. LAMAN.

Witnesses:

JAMES D. RILEY, PETER R. WESTON. 

